Today we’d like to introduce you to Kristin Snyder
Hi Kristin, we’d love for you to start by introducing yourself.
There is so much to my story that got me to where I am today. If I told the whole story from start to finish, it might not even make sense how it all came together. But, I can clearly see how each experience shaped me and made me the woman I am today. From being in the marching band in high school, to singing on stage in Taiwan, to becoming vegan, to finishing my Master’s degree… and now serving the immigrants of my community, it has all come together in the best way possible.
Can you talk to us a bit about the challenges and lessons you’ve learned along the way. Looking back would you say it’s been easy or smooth in retrospect?
It has absolutely NOT been a smooth road. But is it ever smooth for anybody? I think one of my biggest struggles was becoming a mother. It made me rethink my values in life, and changed the trajectory of everything. We lose ourselves in motherhood, and the journey to finding that new person inside you is a long road. I’d say another struggle is standing strong in my personal moral values. For example, when I became vegan it was difficult to stand up to others. There are a lot of people who just want to tear you down for just being kind. So grappling with these emotional aspects while trying to be a good person can just make you crazy sometimes.
Great, so let’s talk business. Can you tell our readers more about what you do and what you think sets you apart from others?
We Rise is newly founded and not yet fully operational, but was founded as a response to the growing need of access to education in conflict zones. I am planning for proceeds to go directly towards assisting these students in applications to universities, TOEFL preparation, and anything else needed to make their transition more comfortable. We can’t rise together unless everyone is able to. This includes those of us who are unlucky in the time period or place we are born into. Everyone works together in changing the world. We offer ESL classes, TOEFL preparation, and study abroad consulting services at this time.
We Rise is different from other educational consulting groups because it won’t be based in profits, but rather in making access to higher education more equitable and affordable.
We Rise is sort of a branch from another group I am a board member of called Among the Rubble Collective, which was formed in response to the devastation in the Gaza Strip and Palestine. Nearly all educational institutions in Gaza have been destroyed, leaving citizens with no access to education. Among the Rubble has many projects on the ground and virtually such as food distribution, water distribution, psychological services for children, and fundraising for individual families.
I would say I’m most proud of the people I work with every day. We are volunteers from all over the world doing this all with no pay, sleepless nights, and have shed a lot of tears for the people we now call family.
Are there any important lessons you’ve learned that you can share with us?
I’d say the most important lesson I learned is that you can’t do it all alone. I still have trouble with this sometimes, but you need other people to help you along the way. Whether it is for mentorship, inspiration, or ideas, bringing together great people gets more things done.
Pricing:
- We are taking donations for our projects in Gaza.
Contact Info:
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/plantyourdestiny/
